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Hello? Hello? Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again.
Relax.
I'll need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.
O.K.
Just a little pinprick.
There'll be no more, ah!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good.
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown,
The dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again.
Relax.
I'll need some information first.
Just the basic facts.
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain you would not understand
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.
O.K.
Just a little pinprick.
There'll be no more, ah!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good.
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying.
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown,
The dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Track duration: 08:57
"Comfortably Numb" as written by Roger Waters, David Jon Gilmour
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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First of all, Comfortably Numb is part of The Wall album, what they billed as a Pink Floyd "Rock Opera", as I thought Pink Floyd's Time album was, in its own way, also, in an earlier year. This was also made into a movie, as was The Who's "Tommy". "The Wall", at least how they portrayed it in the movie, was a small portion of a ficticious "Rock Star", named Pink. I think the songs on the whole album, were, to be taken in that context, even though, if you watch the movie, it seems to jump, and skip, about, in that life. Sometimes, going back to their childhood, and then, in a scene right after that, addolescence.
I do agree that there is a lot of "drug" references, but, I still, deep down, think this song is more of a testiment to ones own "connection" with the world, and surroundings. Not so much the drugs. That being said, this song makes me reflect on my own life, and how "I" view it, or even, how someone else would view it. As a child, we are all the same, friends, or enemies, playing in a school yard, or park. We don't think about the whole "what do they think?", "How do people percieve me?" mentality. Innocence. As we grow up, the world interjects that "we" have to get along with others around us, we have to, as the Rush song states: Conform, or be cast out.
Our innocence is lost, as we take on thinking processes of how others see us, think about us, and how we are seen in their thinking. A kind of duality mental thinking. One, how we want to be, but, the second, on how others see us. I really feel this is a "underlying" meaning of this song. Coping with hard times, good times, depression, euphoria, and how, as a single entity, we need to be accepted, and in groups.
I know a few people here, posted about it being "better" than just a "drug" song, or about it being something more than just a "good" trip / "bad" trip song. I really want to think the same way, and seriously feel, that, the song is more, or it "has to be" more than just a drug song.
Why? Well, I have listened to many a Doors tunes, and, I have to admit, while listening to them, I can't help but think "Man! He was really trippin' on this one!", I don't get the same feelings, deep down, listening to this song. These songs are much more, deeper, than just a "Wow! That was a good trip! I need to write that down and make a song of it." kind of thing.
I realize that Syd was a driving force in Pink Floyd, and that, Gilmour, pretty much, had to take "second" fiddle to him, but, watching Pink Floyd live, on the Delicate Sound Of Thunder, and the Pulse Tours, seeing these guys playing the songs, I can't imagine them being "Coked" out of their gourd, or "Hopped up". The intensity of their playing, the concentration, and dedication, of every note played... I can't think the songs reflect a "drug haze".
But there's a despair, a depression
"The child is grown,
The dream is gone."
During the times where I felt despair, I would recite those 2 lines. The fact that there is often so much hope when you are young, but then setbacks, circumstances crush that hope, crush the ambition, obliterate the idealism.
Those 2 lines really are for all those who feel terrible that dreams & hope were replaced with an ugly reality that ends up reminding them of how they didn't measure up, how they fell short, the mistakes made and those who rubbed your nose in those mistakes.
Very very painful indeed
and dope
Definition of the two perceptions
Perception number 1 (P1) is the perception on which everyone starts, the clean set of mind that we have from the moment that we are born until our early childhood.
Perception #2 (P2) takes control from our early child hood throughout constant repetition of how the world is and should be by everybody that surrounds us, until we get “comfortably numbed”.
Perception number 1 (P1) is trying to get the lead on the individuals mind and get ahead of perception #2 (P2).
P1 first comes in contact with (P2) and tries to bring calm
Hello,
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone home?
Come on
Now
I hear you're feeling down
I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
P2 is making an effort to understand and responds to P1
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move
But I can't hear what you're saying
P1 remembers that he was P2 and remembers the moment when he became P1
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like
Two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain
You would not understand
This is not how I am .com/p/pink floyd/comfortably numb_20108779.html ]
I... Have become comfortably numb
P1 makes its full entrance into P2 (through or caused by a physical reaction)
O.K.
Just a little pin prick
There'll be no more aaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working
Good
That'll keep you going through the show (the show refers to anything that P2 can remember from P1)
Come on
It's time to go
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move
But I can't hear what you're saying
P2 Remembers fully how is to be perceiving as a child, he remembers that moment as if it was a dream, just like the rest of us including you (the reader) at some point of our lives.
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I... Have become comfortably numb
A great song that is a good reminder that there is no time to waste.
But has given it up for some P2P on his PS2
The second verse may be about how Syd tried to play shows with Pink Floyd and solo shows, maybe even taking heavy drugs to motivate him to play. However, in most of the shows he played in at that point he was not really "there"; only a shell of what he used to be.
The final part of the song seems to be about Syd's "fleeting glimpse" with stardom when he was young and how suddenly he had fallen off. Water's can't explain or "put his finger on" exactly happened to his friend except that, "The child has grown; the dream is gone".
Of course the beauty in Floyd's music is that there are many different meanings to every song so there is no way that this is the only one. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more metaphors about Water's life and society mixed in there.
Oh and if you're a fan of Pink Floyd you have to watch this documentary about Syd :)
youtube.com/…